- After going an entire calendar year without releasing a new iPad, Apple is back with its spring event. The company launched two new iPads, accompanying accessories, and a few apps.
- With the powerful new devices, Apple hopes to boost falling iPad sales.
- Check out the latest from Apple as it prepares for WWDC 2024.
Apple wrapped up its first event of the year yesterday, almost a month before its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Apple’s spring event, with the tagline ‘Let Loose,’ isn’t known for the company’s broad spectrum strategy revelations.
However, the company did have some beefy new upgrades for iPads. After all, the event was “all about iPad,” according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, even if Google decided to steal some of the attention away from Cupertino’s flashy new gadgets by confirming its Pixel 8a on the same day.
Still, Apple shouldn’t find it too difficult to get its fair share of the limelight, given that its hardcore users have waited more than 18 months for a new iPad version. Year 2023 is notable because it is only the second time since the iPad’s launch in 2010 that Apple has gone an entire calendar year without releasing a new iPad.
Consequently, Apple saw a 17.53% year-over-year (YoY) decrease in iPad sales in 2023, from $31.44 billion in 2022 to $25.92 billion in 2023. In its latest earnings report from May 2, 2024, Apple’s iPad sales slumped 16.65% YoY in Q1 2024.
Nevertheless, two powerful new iPads, software updates, and an accessory are available now. Here’s what Apple announced at yesterday’s 2024 spring event.
1. iPads
Apple launched two new iPads, adding one each to its Pro and Air series of tablets.
The 7th generation iPad Pro is designed for creative and business professionals. It is thinner (5.1 mm), has an upgraded OLED Ultra Retina XDR display, a camera at the landscape edge, and, most importantly, has Apple’s latest M4 chip.
For instance, the chip’s AI-focused neural engine, with 38 trillion operations per second, is 60x faster than that of the A11, possibly hinting at what’s to come at WWDC 2024.
Apple has skipped a step by equipping the 7th gen iPad Pro with the M4 instead of the M3. The iPad Pro is the first machine to receive an M4 revamp, even before the MacBook Pro. It wouldn’t be a stretch to expect Apple to announce an M4 MacBook Pro next month.
The new M4 iPad Pro comes in 11” and 13” sizes, priced at $999 and $1,299, respectively, for the 256 GB variant. It is designed to deliver a laptop-esque experience when paired with the new Magic Keyboard. In addition to the 256 GB model, the iPad Pro comes with 512 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB storage.
The second iPad launched by Apple at the 2024 spring event is the 6th generation iPad Air. It comes two years after the 5th gen iPad Air was released, and the latest one features the M2 chip. While the chipset is the most significant update in the 6th generation iPad Air, users should be excited for a bigger form factor, a 13” one, in addition to the standard 11” iPad Air model.
The new 6th-gen iPad Air base model starts at 128 GB instead of the meager 64 GB. The 11” and 13” Air models are priced at $599 and $799 respectively.
The new iPad Pro and iPad Air models are available to order. The devices will begin shipping on May 15.
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2. Accessories
The artwork on Apple’s invitation to the Let Loose event prominently featured the Pencil, so the company indirectly confirmed a new version. The stylus has also been a companion to the iPad, so two new iPads warrant a new pencil.
Apple Pencil Pro has new sensors that allow nifty features like squeeze gestures and haptic feedback. A new gyroscope provides for higher accuracy, and the Find My support is, well, just good sense, considering how prone users are to lose the tiny stylus. The Apple Pencil Pro costs $129.
The second accessory is an aluminum-cased Magic Keyboard with a trackpad. It connects with the iPad Pro to offer a feel “just like a MacBook.” To that end, the keyboard comes with a Function row and dedicated keys to control the brightness and backlight.
The Magic Keyboard has the same two hinges and features one USB-C port, while the trackpad has haptic feedback. Depending on the size, it costs $299 or $349.
The Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard are available for order, with shipping starting on May 15.
3. Software
Apple has introduced successive Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro versions for film editing and audio recording. Final Cut Pro 2 is a filmmaker boon, making the iPad into a portable and flexible multicamera preview hub with the wireless Live Multicam feature.
The new Final Cut Camera app enables Live Multicam, which allows users on iPhones and iPads to monitor and control each video feed live. Four individual iPhones or iPads can be synced to an iPad Pro via the app.
Meanwhile, the Logic Pro 2 for iPad has enhanced AI capabilities for ease in music-making.
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Image source: Shutterstock
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